Wang Yi Talks about Syrian Situation: Seeking a New Way out in the Tangled Web

2016/10/31

On October 31, 2016, when jointly meeting the press after holding talks with Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault of France, Foreign Minister Wang Yi introduced China’s position and views on the Syrian situation upon inquiry.

Wang Yi said that the recent Syrian situation is worrisome. Intervention of various forces and complicated contradictions have driven the situation into a tangled web that is hard to unravel. All parties should reconsider and seek a new way out in the tangled web.

Wang Yi pointed out that at present, the political settlement of the Syrian issue faces three tasks, namely peace talks, anti-terrorism and refugees, which have intertwined with and affected each other. In order to break the deadlock and find a new way out, we should concentrate on solving the most pressing issue and identify the greatest common divisor for more substantial international cooperation.

China believes that it is imperative to fight against terrorism and restore stability in the Middle East, which is the fundamental solution to the spread of humanitarian crisis and the shared goal acceptable to all parties at present. We hope that all parties can reach a broader consensus in this regard and carry out more effective international counter-terrorism cooperation.

Second, it is the fundamental direction to adhere to political settlement. This is the established rule laid down in UN resolutions and must be upheld without any second thoughts. That is to say, the starting point of all actions taken by various parties on the Syrian issue should be conducive to, rather than hinder the political settlement of the Syrian issue.

Third, it is the right way for the UN to play a leading role. The UN not only has the full legitimacy and authority to serve as a main mediation channel, but also can coordinate the positions and synergize consensus of all parties in a more effective way. China supports the UN to play a greater role in the political settlement of the Syrian issue.

Wang Yi noted that all parties hold different views on the arrangement of Syrian leaders and other tough issues. China advocates finding a proper solution through consultations among various parties in accordance with the Syrian-led and Syrian-owned principle during the process of promoting the political settlement roadmap laid out in the UN Security Council Resolution 2254.